Misadventure
by ANBUShizuka
Summary: It was a simple experiment, to see if the high-ranking Soul Reapers would interact with their zanpaku-to spirits if their appearance was changed. But what wasn't expected was a certain polar bear manifesting as a child. And the most interesting fact: Unohana-taicho and Kotetsu-fukutaicho seem perfectly capable of raising him as his mothers. UnoIsa T for language
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: Ok, this was just an idea I had. I felt like writing something cute and humorous and came up with this little thing. I hope you all like it. Consider this an alternate to my first UnoIsa one-shot. And uh...I'm hoping to make this multi-chapter._

_Disclaimer: I do not own Bleach. And tropical storms suck._

[xXx]

Kurotsuchi Mayuri, captain of Squad Twelve and head researcher in the Department of Research and Development, tapped his chin impatiently; behind him, Nemu asked, "Taicho, what is displeasing you?"

"How slow this is going. I wanted to replicate the manifestation of the zanpaku-to. I modified their appearances slightly as a way to gather data on my peers- if you can even call those philistines my peers- but it appears that doing so has caused their manifestation to take longer," the man replied with a condescending tone.

Nemu nodded, quietly saying, "Understood. May I have leave to go to the world of the living?"

"Whyever would you want to do that, you stupid girl?" Mayuri snapped.

_'So I can see Uryu again.'_ She retorted, "So I can escort the Chairwoman around. She's anxious to see Kurosaki Ichigo again. Something about finding him so that he can fight Kenpachi-taicho."

"Oh, _fine_," Mayuri sneered. He threw a cell phone at the bewildered fukutaicho and shouted, "Contact me if anything interesting comes up. I'll cancel the manifestations of your zanpaku-to and Kusajishi's." Tapping away at the keyboard, the captain failed to see the brilliant smile that lighted his daughter's face as she turned and sprinted from the room.

[xXx]

Unohana Retsu sat quietly in her office, sipping at a cup of tea. It was a peaceful day and the number of training injuries were minimal as Soi Fon-taicho was having a visit from Yoruichi. So, Retsu was surprised when the door of her office burst open to reveal a slender young man with light, sea-foam green hair; it was long enough to cover his left eye and was spiked in a careless fashion. His right eye was a brilliant red. He stormed in, hands on his hips as he wore a royal blue yukata and a simple red obi. "Re-chan, do you realize what just happened?"

_'Only one person calls me Re-chan-'_ She gasped, "Minazuki, what happened to you?"

"It was that _damned_ Kurotsuchi Mayuri!" The raven-haired captain looked shocked, stunned by the anger in her zanpaku-to. She was even more shocked by his sudden need to scream in order to vent his frustration. "He turned me into a teenager and what does he do to my Ite? He turns him into a five-year-old!" Minazuki stomped over and plopped into the chair beside his wielder, pouting, "This isn't fair."

Retsu smiled softly and reached over, stroking the teen's cheek gently. "Calm yourself, Minazuki. Everything will be well again, I promise. Now, where is-"

"Zuki!" squealed a cheerful voice. Into the office sprinted a small boy with a white mohawk and blue bangs. The sides of his head were shaved short and colored black. He had large, expressive black eyes and an infalliable smile. "Hi, Zuki!"

"Itegumo-kun!" Shortly after the boy managed to barge in, the silver-haired lieutenant of Squad Four rushed in. She gently chided, "Ite-kun, you can't run off like that. I was worried about you." She knelt and gathered the still smiling child into her arms. He grinned and slowly turned one of the beads in her hair between his small fingers. She returned the soft smile when the little boy wrapped his arms around her neck and gently pecked her cheek.

"I'm sorry, kaa-kun. I'll be careful," he said shyly.

Kotetsu Isane looked at her captain apologetically and murmured, "I'm so sorry. He ran off and I didn't notice until I saw a streak of blue and white sprint into our barracks-"

"It's all right, Isane-kun, really," Retsu replied. She came from around the desk and kneeled beside the taller female. She flashed a sweet, motherly smile at the boy and said, "Hello, Itegumo-kun. How was your day?"

"Great!" he chimed. "First, kaa-kun took me around the Seireitei and showed me all sorts of stuff and then, she took me out in Rukongai and told me about-" He rambled on, explaining everything in rapid succession.

"Well, you did have quite a day," the raven-haired captain breathed, feigning tiredness, "you must be tired after such an eventful day out and about."

Shaking his head excitedly, Itegumo replied, "Nope! I wanna eat dinner first. And I kinda wanted you and kaa-kun to read me a story. Then, I'll fall asleep with Zuki-kun!" He continued to grin brightly at the others in the room.

Sparing another look at her zanpaku-to, the blue-eyed taicho saw him blush a brilliant red and mutter something darkly about slaughtering Kurotsuchi Mayuri. "All right then. Shall we be off? We'll all go have some dinner."

"Ok, kaa-chan!" He leaped out of Isane's arms and bolted out of the room. The two women looked at each other blankly, somewhat shocked, before the boy popped his head back into the room and chirped, "Well, c'mon! I'm starving!" The remaining occupants of the room followed quickly, not wanting to let Itegumo out of their sight.

[xXx]

Rukia sighed heavily, watching as her brother and Ichigo continued to make snide remarks back and forth. '_I had really hoped that an engagement would not be this much work...'_ she thought bitterly. As soon as they had sat down at their table, the verbal battle had begun and the raven-haired lieutentant was honestly shocked that no zanpaku-tos had been drawn. Just as Byakuya was about to reply to Ichigo's latest comment, a slight commotion began in the lobby of the diner and the trio looked to see a little boy with a white mohawk and blue bangs enter with a green-haired teen and the taicho and fukutaicho of Fourth Division. She murmured, "Hey, nii-sama, look!"

"It appears to be Unohana-taicho and Kotetsu-fukutaicho," her brother muttered calmly. Then, seeing the other two, he added, "How odd."

A bright squeal erupted, "Kaa-kun, kaa-chan! C'mon! Can we eat here, please?" The little boy with the mohawk was grabbing the women's sleeves excitedly, begging loudly. Isane knelt at his side and spoke quietly, calming the child. The trio could vaguely hear a shy, "Sorry, kaa-kun."

The four newcomers were seated nearby and Rukia, Ichigo and Byakuya couldn't help but notice the interaction between them. An almost awkward tenseness ran in the green-haired teen's posture while the little boy seemed perfectly at ease and happy. The two women were simply struggling to contain the child, albeit they continued to smile softly and speak kindly. "Are they together or something?" Ichigo asked his girlfriend.

"Together?" the grey-eyed male inquired.

"Yeah, like a couple," the orange-haired shinigami replied. Turning his brown eyes back to Rukia, he asked again, "Do you know if they are or not, babe?"

"No idea," the blue-eyed girl retorted. A little forcefully, she elbowed her boyfriend and snapped, "And don't call me babe while we're with my nii-sama." She kept watching as Isane leaned a little closer, smiling and blushing lightly as her taicho held the child in her lap and held his tiny hands in hers. "Maybe...they are..."

"It wouldn't be very surprising, really," Byakuya quipped. He eyed the pair silently. They were indeed acting much closer than in the past hundred years, despite being close already. He noticed the smile of pure joy on Unohana's petite face and blinked back slight surprise.

[xXx]

"Like this, Itegumo-kun," Retsu laughed. She held the boy's hands and moved them about in a slow, graceful pattern. "See?"

"Thanks, kaa-chan," Itegumo giggled. He looked at Isane and asked, "Kaa-kun, every time we're out and I see people with their swords, I hear them call to me. Why is that?"

"The people?" the silver-haired woman questioned.

The boy shook his head, "No, the swords. I hear them call my name and ask me things." A small frown crossed his face as he muttered, "That's weird, huh?"

"No, Ite-kun, it's not. You see...oh, how to explain this..." Isane murmured. She looked at her captain and saw the woman shake her head slightly. The grey-eyed female said, "You just have a very special gift, that's all." Running her fingers through the snow-colored locks of hair, the fukutaicho laughed, "You'll understand one of these days." The group finished eating; Unohana paid the bill and ushered the misfit band out of the eating establishment.

Yawning a little, Itegumo whined, "Kaa-chan, kaa-kun, I'm sleepy..." He was nestled in Retsu's arms, nuzzling her neck as he got comfortable and slowly began dozing in and out.

"Let's go home then," the raven-haired taicho whispered, giving the boy a soft kiss on the forehead. As they continued walking, Unohana glanced at her lieutenant and quietly inquired, "Isane-kun, may I ask you something?"

In the failing light of day, Isane's hair was tinted an orange-gold. She blushed slightly and stammered, "U-Unohana-taicho, you don't need to ask if you can, by all means." Minazuki straggled behind, still moping over the situation. Every once in a while, he'd catch sight of another manifested zanpaku-to and he would give a brief wave or nod but he stayed silent for the duration of the afternoon and evening. "What is it, taicho?"

Unohana questioned, "Well, I was wondering why Itegumo-kun called me 'kaa-chan' all day. Do you know why?"

'_I do_,' Minazuki chimed in.

Royal blue eyes flickered to look back at her sulking sword but otherwise, she did not reply. "Isane?"

"I-I..." Her mind was screaming, '_She can't possibly know!_' Isane murmured, "I'm not sure, Unohana-taicho..."

"Oh..." There was a slight disappointment that the older shinigami hid behind a curious look. "All right."

[xXx]


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: Don't ask, ok? I was listening to a lot of country music. And I was on 24 hour phone watch, so...yeah...second chapter!_

_Disclaimer: Don't own...blah, blah, blah...we got it._

[X]

Minazuki sighed softly, running his slender fingers through the little zanpaku-to's hair as they lay on Retsu's bed. He murmured, "I'm sorry I don't have a room of my own, Re-chan..."

"Nonsense, Minazuki. I'm more than happy to allow you and Ite-kun to rest comfortably," the azure-eyed woman replied. Her soft, soothing tone left no question and her zanpaku-to smiled in response. His single red eye glimpsed sadly back at the little boy that lay curled into his arms and stayed quiet. "What is it, Minazuki? Something is troubling you."

"Where will you sleep, Re-chan?" the sea-foam-haired man retorted. He appeared much calmer than he had been earlier. "Re-chan, I know you better than anyone. I'm exactly like you. And we both know that because of...well, there is no need to discuss such an event right now, is there?"

"Indeed not." The raven-haired taicho grew quiet as she watched the two males cuddle and slowly drift in and out of sleep. She muttered calmly, "I'll simply stay in one of the vacant barracks rooms." And, without another word, the graceful captain got up and walked out of the room, closing the sliding door gently. Retsu strolled silently through the hallways, searching for an empty room. A familiar reiatsu appeared slowly and the Squad Four captain glanced over her shoulder at her lieutenant, Kotetsu Isane. "Isane-kun." She smiled pleasantly, asking, "What are you still doing up? Minazuki and Itegumo have both fallen asleep already. After such an eventful day with Ite-kun, I would have thought you would have fallen fast asleep by now."

"I was up, worrying about where our zanpaku-to were going to sleep. I was about to come offer the use of my room," replied the assistant captain. Her grey eyes were clouded with worry as she took in the sight of her superior. The younger woman murmured, "Unohana-taicho...why are _you_ up?"

Retsu smiled tiredly. "They're staying in my room for the night. We were so busy with little Itegumo-kun that we didn't think about living arrangements. Whenever Minazuki manifested before, he was simply a spirit that would float in the corner of my room as a guardian. Plus, Itegumo-kun insisted upon sleeping with his beloved 'Zuki-kun' and this left them with no where to sleep."

"We have empty barracks rooms-" Isane began.

"But none that are ready to be occupied," reminded the benevolent woman. She smiled softly and said, "So, I was going to find one that had a mattress laid out and sleep there."

The Squad Four lieutenant captain grew alarmed and exclaimed, "Unohana-taicho, I couldn't possibly let you! Please, sleep in my room tonight!" Then, rethinking her statement, the woman blushed a bright red and amended, "While I sleep in the unoccupied room!"

The pair was silent for a time; the only sound was Isane's hurried, embarrassed breathing as she waited for her captain's response. Then, the onyx-haired taicho announced, "I believe that I will take you up on that offer, Isane-kun. However..." Retsu's smile softened to almost a pout as she requested, "only if you sleep in there too."

Isane stammered, blushing even deeper, "O-of course." She stepped aside and gestured, "Please, this way." As the pair of medical Soul Reapers trekked towards Isane's room, the silver-haired woman grew more and more panicked. '_She's going to sleep in my room! And she wants me in there too! Isn't that inappropriate?_'

"This is it, yes?" the shorter woman inquired, pointing to Isane's room. At the nod, she stepped back and said, "I would feel like an intruder if I opened it myself, Isane-kun."

Slightly bemused, Isane slid the door open and muttered, "Please, pardon the mess. I woke in a hurry this morning because of Ite-kun..." They entered slowly and the taller shinigami hesitated as she watched Retsu look around curiously.

"Isane-kun?" The tone was quiet and innocent, drawing the other female's attention immediately.

"Yes, Unohana-taicho? What is it?" Walking over to her low table with two long strides, the grey-eyed fukutaicho knelt and looked up at the raven-haired woman.

For a moment, the taicho seemed hesitant before she finally whispered, "Will you brush out my hair before we go to sleep?"

Nodding, the silver-haired shinigami replied, "Of course, Unohana-taicho." She watched silently as the other woman removed her haori and obi, folding them neatly and placing them on the floor beside the bed. As the black portion of her uniform began to come off, Isane turned her head almost violently to avoid possibly seeing a slip of skin. Soon, a light tap on her shoulder caused the fukutaicho to look back at her captain. She blushed; Unohana Retsu knelt beside her assistant in her white yukata with her hair down. "U-Unohana-"

"Please, Isane-kun...just Retsu," pleaded the other woman.

"R-Retsu-san...I...I need to get a brush..." Isane replied quietly. She blinked when her captain produced one quietly. "Where did you...you know what, nevermind. Uhm...turn around so I can brush your hair?" requested the assistant captain.

The pair sat in a peaceful silence as the silver-haired woman ran the brush through the long, raven-colored strands of her captain's hair. "Isane-kun, I'd like to thank you."

"For what, Uno- ah- Retsu-san?" She continued brushing gently, letting her fingers glide through the silky mane as well.

"For letting me share your bed tonight," Retsu said gently, "as well as for brushing my hair. You're a kind, beautiful person, Isane-kun." She peeked over her shoulder, royal blue eyes gazing deeply into steel grey. She mentally noted the profuse blush on her assistant captain's face and the bewildered look in her eyes. "I'm telling you the truth."

"I...I know..." She had stopped brushing slowly as their eyes locked. Gingerly, she offered, "Shall we go to sleep then?"

"Yes, I feel quite tired after today," chuckled the taicho. She got up, offering a hand to Isane. Not letting go, she led them to the bed and lowered herself down. "Well, aren't you going to sleep here too?"

"I-I was going to sleep sitting by the door..."mumbled Isane.

"Isane-kun, you can sleep beside me; there's nothing wrong with that," Retsu pointed out. Then, with a gentle tug, she pulled the girl down and scooted over to accomodate for Isane's body. "There now. This will be just fine." After waiting for her tall lieutenant to lay back, the raven-haired woman curled against her side and mumbled sleepily, "Good night, Isane-kun..."

"G-good night...Retsu-san..." whispered Isane. She closed her eyes and drifted off, without a single nightmare.

[X]

"Kaa-chan! Kaa-kun! Wake up, wake up! It's time for breakfast!" Itegumo slammed the sliding door open, bounding into the room excitedly. The two women stirred slowly, trying to regain their bearings as the boy leaped onto the bed with them. He nestled himself between the two Squad Four leaders and giggled, "Well, get up!" Then, scurrying off the bed, he sprinted out of the room.

"We should follow him, shouldn't we?" Retsu laughed lightly.

"Yes," Isane chuckled, "yes, we definitely should. Who knows what poor soul he's going to con into a game this time."

The raven-haired woman glanced at her fukutaicho, questioning, "Who did he get to play with him yesterday? We spent most of the afternoon and evening together."

With a withering look, the silver-haired lieutenant retorted, "Yachiru-fukutaicho, of course. And then he dragged Ukitake-taicho into it too." She shook her head, muttering, "Itegumo and Yachiru convinced poor Jushiro to play tag."

Retsu raised a hand, delicately hiding her smile. She murmured, "Oh, my. Then we must make haste, Isane-kun." The pair rose, dressing themselves quickly before exiting the room and following the young zanpaku-to's reiatsu.

[X]

Yoruichi chuckled, "Soi-chan, you're being such a stiff. C'mon, skip the paperwork for today and come have some fun with me." She leaned forward, grinning widely as her former subordinate blushed a bright red.

"Y-Yoruichi-sama!" cried the shorter woman. She protested, "I have a lot of work to attend to today, I can't afford to-" She stopped, seeing that her dark-skinned companion's attention had gone somewhere past her shoulder and a soft smile replaced the devilish grin from ealier. "What're you smiling about...?" The raven-haired Chinese woman turned to see a little boy standing in the middle of the courtyard, staring at the two women with something akin to sadness in his eyes. "What the hell..."

The violet-haired woman moved forward and knelt in front of the little boy. She rested a hand on his pale shoulder and asked, "What's wrong, little one?" Mentally, she noted, '_His spiritual pressure is strong enough to match a lieutenant. Is he a zanpaku-to?_'

"I ran off and now I can't find my kaa-chan or my kaa-kun," whimpered the five-year-old. His big, coal-colored eyes were wet with tears as he stared up at the stranger. "I want my kaa-kun! And my kaa-chan!" His tears began anew and the two shunpo masters glanced at one another.

Softly, Yoruichi soothed, "It's ok, honey, we'll help you look for your...your parents. All right?"

Soi Fon watched in awe as her former commander soothed the child and got him to smile. Her mouth fell open as Yoruichi held her arms open and wrapped the boy in a hug as she stood. "Yoruichi-sama, what-"

"We're gonna help little- sweetie, you never told me your name," chuckled the yellow-eyed Flash Master.

"Oh, sorry." The boy brightened as he announced, "I'm Itegumo!"

Deadpanning, the pair simultaneously muttered, "Isane's zanpaku-to..." Then, perking back up, Yoruichi stated, "Well then, let's go find them!" As Yoruichi and Soi Fon strolled along with Itegumo in Yoruichi's arms, the dark-skinned female whispered to the Chinese woman, "Who do you suppose he's referring to when he said 'kaa-chan' and 'kaa-kun' like that?" Then, quickly, she amended, "I can imagine that 'kaa-kun' is probably Isane-san but..."

"Hey, oba-chan," Itegumo chirped, "what's your name?" Quickly, he added, pointing to Soi Fon, "Is she my oba-kun?"

The pair blushed lightly, glancing at one another. Yoruichi said, "My name is Yoruichi, Ite-kun. And this is Soi Fon."

"Oh. So...Yoru-oba-chan and Soi-oba-kun!" The five-year-old giggled, cuddling into the crook of the taller woman's neck. He murmured, "You smell good, oba-chan."

Laughing loudly, the cat-eyed woman rubbed the black, shaved parts of Itegumo's head. She replied, "Thank you, honey, that's sweet of you. Do you want your Soi-oba-kun to hold you for a while?" She glanced devilishly over at the Squad Two captain and said, "She's got braids that you can play with."

"Can I, oba-kun, can I?" pleaded the little boy. He reached for her eagerly, black eyes wide with excitement and joy.

Soi Fon glared at her mentor and scoffed quietly. But, she nodded and consented, "Ok, Itegumo-kun." She held out her arms and cried out as Yoruichi tossed the boy to her. "Yoruichi-sama! What if you scared him?"

"Aw, Soi-chan, I didn't scare 'im! He loved it! Right?" chuckled the playful woman.

Itegumo nodded ecstatically and cheered, "Yeah, that was fun! Great catch, oba-kun!" He enthusiastically threw his arms around Soi Fon's neck, giving her a loving hug.

Blushing again, the Chinese taicho stammered, "Th-thank you, Itegumo-kun..."

After a second or two more, the two women heard rushed footsteps as Isane called, "Ite-kun!"

"Kaa-kun!" cried the boy. Yoruichi and Soi Fon turned to face the direction of the upcoming reiatsu and smiled as they saw the silver-haired woman sprinting towards them. Then, the real surprise came when Unohana Retsu appeared beside her. "Kaa-chan!"

'_That's kaa-chan?!'_ Soi Fon mentally screamed. The little zanpaku-to wiggled and she asked, "Do you want down, Itegumo-kun?"

"No, I'm just happy! I can't wait for you to meet my kaa-chan and my kaa-kun! Oh, wait, you probably have already met, right?" He then noticed the cloth-wrapped braids and tugged one happily. "Cool! Why do you do your hair like this, oba-kun? It looks so awesome!" The boy examined the gold hoop and the braid in awe, suddenly ignoring his caretakers' arrival.

"Ite-kun, leave Soi Fon-taicho alone. I'm sure she has a lot of work to do," Isane lightly scolded. She reached for him, saying, "Don't you want to get breakfast and spend the day together again?"

"Yeah..." He hopped out of Soi Fon's arms before turning back to face the two women. He chirped, "Thanks oba-chan! And thank you too, oba-kun!" He reached up for them one more time and the pair knelt to the boy's height. Itegumo quickly gave each woman a hug and a soft kiss on the cheek, saying, "Can we play tomorrow?"

Yoruichi looked at her partner and saw a soft, almost loving look in the steel grey eyes. Soi Fon murmured, "We'd love to, Itegumo-kun."

"Unohana-taicho," the Flash Master laughed, "how did you get dragged into being 'kaa-chan' for little Ite-kun?"

The woman smiled pleasantly and replied, "I'm not too sure, actually but..." She scooped the five-year-old into her arms and ruffled the blue bangs as she continued, "I love him." Retsu softly kissed Itegumo's forehead and looked up at Isane. "Shall we go get breakfast after we get Minazuki up?"

"Y-yeah..." stammered the silver-haired fukutaicho.

The trio began to walk back to the Squad Four barracks as they heard Yoruichi shout, "Bye, sweetheart! See you tomorrow!"

Itegumo looked at his mothers and grinned. "I like them. Are they married yet?"

Isane and Retsu glanced at each other, simultaneously thinking, '_How to explain that..._'

[X]


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: Back to working on this. I'm sorry for the wait. I've been busy taking care of my mum and also applying for work. I tell you, no one cares if you're a veteran anymore or not. Sheesh. But, nevertheless, here we have another chapter of fluff. And I mean some serious fluff._

_Disclaimer: Don't own...blah, blah, blah...we got it._

[X]

Itegumo squirmed happily in Retsu's embrace, giggling and telling his mothers how nice Yoruichi and Soi Fon had been. "And tomorrow I get to play with them!" he exclaimed.

"You're quite the charmer, Ite-kun," teased the raven-haired woman. She nuzzled his soft white hair, illiciting a giggle from the child. Turning to Isane, she said, "It's too bad that there's no one his age for him to play with. Kusajishi-fukutaicho is probably the closest. But even then..."

Nodding, the silver-haired woman pointed out, "He gets along well with the other zanpaku-to. Maybe we could ask Ukitake-taicho if his zanpaku-to could play with Ite-kun."

Retsu brightened. She replied, "Wonderful idea, Isane-kun. Jushiro-san is always happy to have children around. Even if it does tire the poor man out." Upon feeling her braid tugged at, the woman looked down at the child in her arms. "What is it, Ite-kun?"

"Kaa-chan, why do you always have your hair in a braid? It looks pretty and all...but why not leave it loose or in a bun or something? Shock some people, y'know?" suggested the young zanpaku-to. He ran a hand through his icy blue bangs and announced, "That's part of why my hair looks the way it does. It shocks people. I mean, you don't see every guy around here with a mohawk, do you? And really, I'm the best lookin' kid around here." A grin split his face, threatening to go from ear to ear.

Isane laughed, struggling to talk through the mirth. "Ite-kun, isn't that...I mean, that's a little conceited, isn't it?" They had breached the courtyard of Fourth Division and were making their way towards the barracks when a scream erupted in the once tranquil air. Looking at one another, the captain and lieutenant nodded and raced for the main building. Hanataro sat in the middle of a spilled tray as two unseated officers from Eleventh Divison stood over the boy. Frowning, the grey-eyed fukutaicho stepped forward and said, "You two need to step back. Aren't you supposed to be recuperating?"

Meanwhile, Retsu set Itegumo down and bid, "You stay right here, ok, sweetheart?" The boy nodded and glanced at the two men that now were glaring at his mother threateningly. He took no notice to the dark-haired captain as she knelt beside her Seventh seat and asked, "Are you all right, Hanataro-san?"

"Y-yes, Unohana-taicho, thank you. I-I just tripped and fell, that's all..." stuttered the raven-haired young man. He stared up at his captain with big, sad eyes and grew fearful as a smile spread across her lips.

"Hanataro-san, I would really appreciate it if you told me what really happened." Her tone was as even and calm as ever but their was a hint of warning lying just beneath and the boy swallowed hard against the lump in his throat. "Did they trip you or push you?"

"Th-they only t-tripped me, t-taicho, that's all. I-I can have it cleaned up in no time!" He began fumbling with the shattered tea cups and plates. Two small hands covered his own and the young man stared at the small boy with the strange mohawk. "Wh-who-"

"Let me help," commanded the little boy. His black eyes gazed into Hanataro's and the Seventh seat nodded numbly.

"Ite-kun, be careful; you'll cut your hand," warned Retsu. She stared at her surrogate son in awe as he helped the clumsy, bashful man clean up the broken china. Then, turning her attention to her ever-sweet companion, she blinked back surprise at the sight before her. Isane had her hands fisted in the front of the men's kosode and was actively shouting at them for being cruel to the young Seventh seat. Walking up beside her lieutenant, the shorter female gently placed a hand in the small of her back and murmured, "Isane-kun, I think they understand the error of their ways and will never do it again. Am I correct?" She then glanced at the Eleventh Division members and they vigorously nodded in the affirmative.

The taller woman let go and watched as the pair hurried away like dogs with their tails tucked between their legs. She frowned, saying, "Everyone picks on us. It just bugs me. We're not weak, by any means." Looking down at her captain, Isane smiled softly and muttered, "I apologize for my behavior, Retsu-chan. It was wrong of me to raise my voice in here."

"It's all right, Isane-kun. It was called for, given the situation. I just hope that it won't happen often, as there are people resting in this wing of the barracks," chuckled the older shinigami. Glancing over their shoulders, the two women witnessed as Itegumo placed the last piece of china on the tray that a smiling Hanataro held. "Ite-kun, are you ready to go wake Minazuki?"

A grin burst across the little zanpaku-to's face as he shouted, "Yeah! Let's go!" He raced off, making his way through the halls rapidly with the taicho and fukutaicho quickly on his tail.

"He's rather energetic, isn't he?" chuckled Isane as her zanpaku-to burst into Unohana's room with a happy squeal.

Retsu smiled, replying, "He's just like you. Just a little more outgoing, however." They halted just outside and watched as Itegumo tickled his partner into awareness. As they watched the scene, the raven-haired woman dared to rest her head against her lieutenant's arm, smiling softly.

In slight shock at the development, Isane looked down and smiled as well; she noted the content, genuinely happy look on her superior's face and wished to see it more often. She whispered, "They care for one another very deeply, don't they?"

"Yes...yes, they do." After a few more moments, Retsu stepped forward and said, "Boys, we should probably get going if we want breakfast."

Itegumo made a move to get up but was quickly pulled back into the older zanaku-to's embrace, gently held against the semi-bare chest. "Re-chan, how about we cook breakfast? Well...turn it into a cooking lesson, rather." He smiled mischieveously and quipped, "We don't want another incident like last time, do we?"

"Minazuki, please, be quiet," muttered the Fourth Squad Captain. She glared at her zanpaku-to, seeing the satisfaction in his face.

"Retsu-chan, what does he mean?" Isane inquired.

Turning her attention away from the teenage weapon, the older woman felt a light rush of blood color her cheeks. She mumbled, "I can't cook..."

Smiling softly, the silver-haired lieutenant said, "It's ok. Not everyone can. Sometimes they just don't have a passion for it. And others just haven't had a good teacher." She extended her hand gingerly and asked, "Wanna see which it is for you?"

The shorter female grinned and took her fukutaicho's hand, replying, "I'm curious." The pair left the two zanpaku-to and headed down the hall to kitchen. "Isane-kun, what are we going to make?" Bidding the kitchen staff to take a break and leave the premises, the two higher ranking shinigami stood around the large island in the middle of the room.

"How do pancakes and fried potatoes sound? It's not very traditional but they're easy to make," replied the taller of the women.

"Lead the way," smirked Retsu. She removed her haori and folded it, setting it aside on one of the stools that sat under the counter of the island. She watched carefully as her lieutenant got several bowls and laid out the needed ingredients. "So, what first?"

"Grab that big bowl, all right? Now, let's sift 190 grams of all-purpose flour, ten grams of baking powder, six grams of salt and ten grams of white sugar; like this," instructed Isane. She moved quietly behind her shorter superior and guided the woman along. "And now..." the silver-haired woman murmured, "we mix in 295 milliliters of milk, an egg and...45 grams of melted butter." They stirred together, resulting in some flour making its way out of the bowl and onto Retsu's kosode. She laughed softly and dusted it off only to grab a handful out of the bag and toss it at her companion. "Hey!"

Childishly, the cerulean-eyed female turned to glance at her subordinate with a pout and said, "You started it."

"On accident! Retsu, I've never seen you like this!" laughed the younger shinigami. For a moment or two longer, the women threw handfuls of flour and sugar at one another, laughing and screaming in false terror. Then, hearing footsteps approaching, they righted themselves and wiped away the evidence of their fight from their faces, managing to sweep the leftover mess from the floor in the process.

"Is everything all right in here? I heard- oh! Unohana-taicho, Kotetsu-fukutaicho, it's you!" Iemura Yasochika stood in the doorway with a shocked look on his angular face. "I apologize. I thought I heard screaming in here. So, I figured I would..."

"Investigate to make sure that everything is as it should be? Very good, Iemura-san, thank you. But we're fine. You may go now," retorted the again composed captain. She smiled beguilingly at the man and observed as he immediately stiffened.

"Y-yes, t-taicho." As he began to take a step, the man turned back for a moment longer to mutter, "Uh, taicho, you have a little flour in your hair. I don't mean to be impertinent but I thought you should know." With that said, the blonde man darted away.

After a minute or so had passed, the two women fell into a fit of laughter. "Did you see the look on his face? He looked so scared," giggled Isane.

"I know, I've never seen him look so terrified," chuckled the other woman. As the laughter quelled, she looked at the bowl of pancake batter and inquired, "Isane, are we going to finish my cooking lesson?"

"Oh, of course! Here, now we have to fry the batter." Patiently and gently, the taller female instructed her friend on how to fry pancakes. The first couple ended up completely burnt beyond recognition and Isane couldn't stop a small giggle from erupting. But she eventually managed to get it to where Retsu only lightly burned the edges. And that, they decided, was a massive improvement.

[X]


End file.
